dell laptop my grandson just stopped by he asked me to fix his laptop.when he turns it on all he gets is errors.he is right iturned it on ,got errors seems he was running it without any virus protection.he has no installation cd and is running windows 2000.all you get is exe errors.wont let you go any place on the computer.is it a lost cause or can it be fixed. thanks george
If I was you, I'd track down the install disc, reformat and completely reinstall the operating system. It sounds pretty hosed, and there are some pretty aggressive virii out there these days that can't be removed once they're in. If it was a pirated operating system to begin with, you may need to purchase a legal copy of Windows 2000. I do recommend W2k over any other version of Windows, as long as you supplement it with a firewall, antivirus software, and some good anti-spyware tools. If you can't afford Windows, you might consider running Linux on the laptop. It does have a bit of a learning curve, but once it's set up it 'just runs'. It's very stable, is immune to virii, trojans, spyware, etc, and it's free (and will always remain free) under the terms of the GPL. Kubuntu is a good place to start for the beginner. You can try out the 'Live' version to see if you like it; just boot to the CD, and it will run straight off disc with no installation -- your hard drive will remain unchanged. If you find that you like it well enough, you can use the 'Install' version and replace Windows on the hard drive, making Kubuntu the full-time operating system. All the best, -AT
thanks can a cd be burned. i cant get to the internet for the laptop.how would i get this on that laptop thanks george
a file could have got corrupted, a virus might have been installed when a program was installed, has he put any programs on there from and cd's from magazines? sometimes they have something lurking in there to infect it, i happened to me before :swear:
would like to put kubuntu on the laptop ,but cant get to the internet to do this from the laptop.is there a way i can down load a cpy and cd boot it on his laptop thanks george
Sure, all you must do is download the '.ISO' image, and open it with quality CD-Burning software, such as Nero Burning ROM. If you don't have broadband, you could always buy a pre-burned, silk-screened CD from a retailer for about $5. Or, ask a buddy with broadband to download & burn it for you. Just keep in mind the differences between the 'Live' and 'Install' versions of the OS. A Live version is for evaluation, which will not run as fast as the install version due to running directly from the CD-ROM drive. And the Install version will install Kubuntu directly to your HDD and replace the existing OS. We have a forum here dedicated to Linux support, so feel free to post there if you have any difficulties. All the best, -AT
